Calibrated revolving retouching easel



Mag;Y 17, 1955 w. H. BRYDA 2,708,328

CALIBRATED REVOLVING RETOUCHING EASEL Filed 001'.. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 a d my M 5 d l N VEN TOR ATTORNEY lill,

mill/[11111111111111111111] III May 17, 1955 Filed Oct. 22, 1953 N. H. BRYDA CALIBRATED REVOLVING RETOUCHING EASEI..

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wma VIIIIIL"IIIIII:?IIT I `9 A l 4- 2a 34 /59 ATTGRNEY United States Patent O CALIBRATED REVOLVING RETGUCHING EASEL Walter H. Bryda, Newark, N. J.

Application October 22, 1953, Serial No. 387,661

5 Claims. (Cl. 45-131) This invention relates generally to drafting devices used by draftsmen, artists, cartoonists, sign painters, showcard writers, photographers and others; and it relates more particularly to improvements in drawing boards or easels which, while especially useful for retouching photographs, may be used for many other purposes.

The invention contemplates a unit which may be readily mounted for angular adjustment about a pivotal axis on an easel body, drawing board, drafting table or other support and which carries improved means for quickly, easily and securely fastening upon the body of the unit a photograph, a piece or strip of paper or the like upon which Work is to be done by a retoucher, draftsman, artist or other worker, the arrangement being such that much time is saved and the user may conveniently operate on any portion of the photograph or other piece of work without changing his position.

The invention also contemplates a device of the character above indicated in which the photograph or other work piece is held ilat by top and bottom clamping bars slidably adjustable on an upright track member fixed adjacent the left end of the body or board, there being provided means for clamping the left ends of the bars to the track member after they have been adjusted to the size of the photograph, and also means for fastening the right hand ends of the bars in adjusted positions along the right hand end of the body of the unit so that the photograph or the like will be rmly held.

Further objects are to provide in a device of this character, additional aids to the user, among which are the provision of Zenith lines and a 360 protractor on the easel body or board, registering scale graduations at each end of the device, and mounting at least one of the clamping bars for pivotal adjustment with respect to its slidable adjustment along the track member so that it may serve not only as a binder but also as a swiveled or adjustable T-square.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the improved device;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section takenV on the line 2 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken on line 3 3 in Fig. l;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail sections on an enlarged scale taken respectively on the lines 4-4, 5 5, and 6 6 in Fig. 1

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail top view of the springhinge clamp used at the right end of the combined binder bar and T-square;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section through the adjustable pivotal connection between the body of the device and the drawing or easel board.

frice Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail sectional View of a portion of one of the spring hinge clamps the plane of the section being indicated by the line 9 9 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. l0 is an enlarged detail View of the lower right corner of the body portion or plate of the device.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the numeral 11 denotes the body portion of my improved device and 12 a suitable base or support on which it is mounted for rotatable adjustment. The support 12 may be the body of an easel, a drawing board, the top of the drafting table, or the like. it is shown as a rectangular board of greater dimensions than the body 11 and may be of wood, metal or other material. While the body 11 may be ot' plastic, metal or other hard and non-exible material, it is preferably in the form of a square sheet or plate of aluminum 16 x 16 x Ms. Depending from the center of the bottom of this body plate 11 is a pivot member 13 which is rotatably adjustable in a suitable bearing opening in the base or board 12. The member 13 has a cylindrical portion 14 from which depends a reduced concentric screw threaded stem 15. Projecting upwardly from the pivot portion 14 is a reduced concentric fastening stem 16 which is riveted, soldered or otherwise fixed in the center of the plate 11. lf the support or base 12 is of metal the pivot portion 14 is rotatable in an opening in it but if made of wood the opening is lined with a metal bushing 17, as seen in Fig. 8. While the top of the plate 11 is at and highly polished, I preferably form in its bottom a large circular recess 1t; to reduced the area of contact of the plate with the top of the board 12. At the center of the recess is a large circular washer 19 which surrounds the stem or neck 16 and supports the plate at its center. The stern 15 extends below the board 12 and threaded on it is a clamping nut 2l) with a milled edge so that it may be readily turned by the lingers. On the stem between the nut and the board 12 are upper and lower washers 21, 22 with an interposed coil spring 23. t will be seen that when the nut is tightened the plate 11 will be pulled down into tight engagement with the board and thus frictionaily held against rotation, and that when the nut Y is loose the plate may be freely rotated to any desired position about the pivotal axis 13.

The dot-and-dash lines in Fig. l represent a photograph or other piece of work adapted to be securely clamped on the smooth top of the plate 11 by top'and bottom binder members 24 and 25 lwhich extend longitud'mally of the plate and are adjustable transversely, that is, toward and from the top and bottom of the device. At their left hand ends these binders 24 and 2S are respectively carried by slides 26 and 27 on a track member 2d mounted on the plate 11 adjacent its left edge, and at their right hand ends they respectively carr/ spring clamping members 29 and 30 which are adjustable along the right edge of the plate, as hereinafter described.

The track 28 is preferably an extruded strip vof aluminum of substantially T-shape in cross section, and it is fastened to the plate by a centrally disposed longitudinal row of rivets or screws 31 as will be understood on reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The arms of the T-shaped track form undercut flanges 32 disposed in recessed or grooved portions of the two slides. The upper slide 26 is a rectangular plate 33 which is disposed crosswise of the track and has its bottom formed near one end with a transverse recess shaped to receive the track. The projecting portion of the slide plate is reduced in thickness and on its bottom is solder or otherwise fixed at 34 one end of the binder 24, that end extending under one of the anges 32, the opposed flange 32 of the track being received in an undercut portion of the recess in the bottorn of the plate 33, as seen in Fig. 4. The binder 24 is preferably a straight edged strap of spring metal which is normally bowed longitudinally so that when it is straightened by the engagement of the clamp 29 with the adjacent edge of plate 11, the intermediate portion of the binder strip or bar will be under tension to tightly press the photograph against the plate l1. By this construction of the slide 26 it may be easily moved on the track to adjust the binder up or down according to the size of the photograph to be retouched. The slide may be instantly lixed in any adjusted position by a thumb screw 35 threaded through a hole in the plate 33 and a nut 36 soldered on the top of that plate, as seen in Fig. 4. When the milled head 37 of the screw is turned in one direction, the inner end of the screw will thrust against the top of the track bar to securely fasten the binder 2li in its adjusted position.

VWhile the bottom binder 25 may be of the same construction as the top one 24, l preferably make it from a normally flat strip or bar of metal and fasten it to the slide 27 by an adjustable pivotal connection. l may thus use the binder 25 as an adjustable T-square since it has straight and parallel longitudinal edges. The bottom slide 27 is of substantially the same construction as the top slide as will be seen by comparing Figs. 4 and 5. The projecting end of its plate 38 is enlarged to provide an arrow shaped head 39 as seen in Fig. l, and beneath which the binder bar swings. The pivotal connection comprises a cylindrical pivot 4) rotatable in an opening 41 in the plate 38 and having its lower end fixed at 42 in the binder bar 25. The upper portion of the pivot il is reduced to provide a screw threaded stern 43 which extends through a washer 44 and receives a milled thumb nut 45 and a lock nut 46, as seen in Fig. 5. When these nuts are loose the combined binder and T -square may be swung to any angular position, and if desired, may be secured in such position by tightening the nuts. The har 2S may be positioned perpendicular to the track 2S by alining a mark i7 on it with the point of the head 39, as seen in Fig. l. The plate 33 has in its bottom a transverse recess of a size to receive the track and it is fixed in an adjusted position on the latter by a thumb screw, as shown in Fig. 5. lt will be noted that the transverse recess in the plate 3S has at one side an undercut portion which receives one e 32 of the track, the other flange of the latter being engaged by the adjacent end ofthe bar 25 to retain the plate on the track.

The two clamp devices 2? and 30 are of the same construction and a description of one will suffice for both, 'out in connection with the bottom one 3l) I use a spring catch #i3 to hold the swinging member of the i clamp in inoperative position when the bar 2S is used as a T-square. Each clamp device resembles a spring hinge and comprises a xed leaf member 49, a swinging leaf member 5&3 and a pivot pin or pintle 5l extending through alined eyes on the two members. On the central portion of the pin is a coil spring 52 to normally actuate the swinging member toward its clamping position, as will be understood on reference to Figs. 6 and 7. The lixed member or plate 4S* is fastened by rivets on the top of one of the binder bars at its right end. The swinging member or plate 5t? is of substantially right angular shape in cross section having one arm 53 forming a finger piece and its other arm 54 provided with a lug 5S adapted to engage any one of a row of notches 55 formed along the rabbeted right edge of the plate 1l. lt will be noted that the arm Se is of angular shape with the locking lug in its angle, so that the free end of the arm 5ft will extend into rabbet or groove along the bottom edge of plate il when the lug enters oneof the notches 56, as seen in Figs. 6 and 9. When the locking lug 55 is engaged with one of the notches, as shown in full lines in Fig. 6,V the right end of the binder will be rigidly held in its photograph outwardly from the binder.

upwardly to disengage the lug from the notch` The spring member 4S associated with the bottom binder is made of thin resilient sheet metal and has a body portion 57 corresponding in shape to the rectangular portion of the fixed hinge plate 49 beneath which it is fastened by the rivets. From one edge of the body 57 projects inwardly and upwardly a curved catch arm 5S so proportioned and arranged that the ngerpiece 53 of clamp may be snapped into and out of engagement with it. Thus the swing member 50 of the clamp on the bottom binder 25 may be held in the retracted and inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 by the engagement of two coacting parts associated with the two members of the hinge. To aid the users of the device l preferably print, engrave or otherwise apply to the polished surface of the plate 11 a large 360 protector scale 60, and inner and outer circles 61 and 62, all concentric with the axis i3. I also preferably apply zenith lines 63 and along the ends of the device scale 64 and 65 graduated in inches and fractions thereof, these scales being in alined relation. The scale 64 is preferably applied to the track bar. The scale 65 extends along the notched end edge of the plate and the notches 56 may be at the graduations of that scale, as seen in Fig. lt). To facilitate placing the edges of the photograph under the binder bars, the central portions of their opposed edges may be formed on their bottom faces with undercut or beveled portions 66, as seen in Fig. 3. These beveled edges permit photographs and stiff sheets to be slipped under the binder bars while they are in clamped positions.

The many uses and advantages of the invention will be apparent to photograph retouchers, artists, draftsmen and other users of the device. A photograph, sheet of drawing paper or the like of any size within the dimensions of the device may be easily and positively fastened on the plate 1l by the binder bars and in a perfectly flat position without the use of thumb tacks, Vadhesive tape, weights or the like. By loosening the screws 37 and lifting the clamps 29, 30 the bars may be slid toward or from each other according to the size of the photograph or other sheet, and then fastened by tightening the screws and releasing the spring clamps. A strip or sheet much longer than the transverse width of the plate, that is, the distance from its bottom to top, may be held by the binders and repeatedly shifted as the work of a sign painter or designer on the long sheet progresses. The central pivot 13 permits the plate to be turned to any position convenient to the user so that he does not have to change his position with respect to the board or table. The readily accessible thumb nut 2li permits of the quick and easy fastening of the plate 11 in the desired angular position. The other features above described greatly assist the user and save much of his time.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

I claim:

1. A revolving retouching or drafting apparatus comprising a supporting body having a flat top with a bearing opening therein, a substantially rectangular plate disposed on said top, a pivot depending from the center of said plate and extending through and rotatable in said opening to rotatably mount the plate on the body, means beneath said body and associated with said pivot to move it axially and clamp the plate in an adjusted position on the body, a track on said plate extending along one of its;

side edges transversely from the top to the bottom edges of the plate, top and bottom slides adjustable along said track, top and bottom binder bars carried by the resjgnzc-l masas edge of the latter, each of said clamps having pivotally connected xed and swingable members, the xcd member being fastened to one of the binder bars and the swingable member carrying a projection engageable with any one of a longitudinal row of notches along the coact4 ing side edge of the plate, each of said clamps also including spring means to actuate the swinging member in the direction to move its projection into one of the notches.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said plate i.; rabbeted along the bottom of said coacting side edge and in which said swingable member of the clamp is of angular shape and carries said notch-engaging projection, the free end of said swingable member being disposed in said rabbet when the projection engages a notch.

3. The structure of claim 1 together with enacting engageable parts associated with the two members of at least one of the clamps and engageable with each other to hold the swingable clamp member in an inoperative position against the tension of said spring means.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the opposed edges of the two binder bars are undercut to provide downwardly and oppositely projecting beveled edges which facilitate the insertion of a sheet under said bars while they are in clamped positions.

5. A revolving retouching or drafting apparatus comprising a supporting body having a flat top with a bearing opening therein, a substantially rectangular plate disposed on said top, a pivot depending from the center of said plate and extending through and rotatable in said opening to rotatably mount the plate on the body, means beneath said body and associated With said pivot to move it axially and clamp the plate in an adjusted position on the body, a track on said plate extending along one of its side edges transversely from the top to the bottom edges of the plate, said track being a bar of T-shape in cross section having opposed ilanges spaced above the plate, top and bottom slide blocks adjustable along said track bar, said slide blocks having in their bottoms transverse recesses to receive said track bar, one edge of each recess being undercut to receive one ange of the track bar, top and bottom binder bars carried by the respective slide backs and extending longitudinally across the plate, each of said binders having its connected end disposed under the other of said flanges of the track bar, set screws carried by said slide bars and engageable with the top of the track bar to fasten the slide bars in adjusted positions, the other side edge of said plate having a longitudinal row of notches, and a spring actuated swngable catch carried by the free end of each of said binder bars for clamping engagement with said notches.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,090 Johnson Jan. 12, 1926 2,156,404 Sinclair May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,594 Germany July 2, 1901 18,817 Great Britain Aug. 21, 1907 582,257 France Oct. 10, 1924 619,007 Germany Sept. 20, 1935 

